Pass percentage in SLC exam slumps to 41.57%

KATHMANDU, JUN 12 – A mere 41.57 percent of the total candidates made it through the ‘iron gate’ this year, as the Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE) on Tuesday published the results of the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) exams. The pass percentage saw a drop by 5 percent from the 46.16 percent last year.

A total of 547,165 students had filled up the exam registration forms, 20,105 were disqualified and only 511,165 students appeared in the tests. Only 176,253 examinees, including both from the regular and exempted categories, cleared the exams. A total of 167,935 students of the 403,936 who appeared in the regular category got through. Of them, 16,824 secured distinction (80 percent and above), 76,165 bagged the first division, 69,830 passed in the second division and 5,016 secured third division marks.

The pass percentage in the exempted category also went down significantly, with a mere 7.76 percent getting through as compared to the 13.70 percent last year. Of the 107,229 examinees under this category, 8,318 managed to get the pass marks (117 first division; 5,848 second division; 2,353 third division).A total of 14,456 students passed the exams after they were given five grace marks each, Examination Controller Khag Raj Baral told a press conference organised to publicise the results.

He said 205 invigilators were booked during the 79th iteration of the examinations that was held for 11 days from March 13-24. He added that 428 students were expelled during the exams (301 expelled in one subject; 4 in two; 123 in all subjects).

This year, the OCE is planning to award the ‘best exam centre’ and 62 superintendents (one each from 62 districts) with a cash prize of Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.

Students not satisfied with their marks can check copies of their answer sheets by paying Rs 700 per subject.

The OCE will be holding supplementary examinations for those failing in any two subjects through August 7-11. Over 125,000 students will take the exam for the second time then.

According to the OCE, the results can be viewed through SMS, phone calls and websites. One can see the results by typing SLC symbol number and sending it to 1400, 1600, 5001, 5566 and 5225. Various websites like http://www.ekantipur.com, http://www.moe.gov.np, http://www.doe.gov.np and www. slc .ntc.net.gov.np have also put up the results.

The results can also be accessed by dialling 1600 through the PSTN/CDMA and GSM mobile (pre-paid/post-paid) of Nepal Telecom.

• Examinees (regular/exempted) through 176,253

• Distinction 16,824

• First division 76,165

• Second division 69,830

• Through with grace marks 14,456

• Those who flunked the tests 334,912

Results out before formal publication

Officials at the Office of the Controller of Examinations were found violating the examination code of conduct by handing out SLC results to a handful of “influential school operators” before the formal publication of the results.

Although the SLC Board made public the results at 3.30 pm on Tuesday, sheets of the results had already made it to various websites, including social networking sites, at 2 pm.

Some officials in the ‘confidential section’ responsible for finalising the results were found distributing the results in pen drives and CDs.

Following widespread criticism from the media, Secretary at the Ministry of Education Som Lal Subedi, who also chairs the exam board, announced he would form a committee to investigate the matter.

“The committee will submit a report in a week and we will take strong action against the officials involved,” he said. (PR)

Three kill selves

Three students committed suicide after failing the SLC exams in Parsa, Chitwan and Rukum districts on Tuesday. Phul Kumari Kurmi of Birgunj-16 in Parsa killed herself by hanging from the ceiling, while in Chitwan, Anish Amgain of Ratnagar-7 also hanged himself to death, police said. In Rukum, Sunita KC killed herself after she failed in three subjects. (PR)

Why the slump is on

The success rate in the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations dropped to an eight-year low this time around, raising questions about the government’s hefty investment in the education sector.

Though the budget the government allocates to the sector has more than doubled in the last five years—from Rs 27 billion in 2006-07 to Rs 63.91 billion in 2012-13—the SLC results have been discouraging by the year. (PR)